


Excess Baggage

by kassandra_divina_trevelyan



Series: The Andromeda Rewrites [7]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gratuitous Smut, Jealous Liam, Oral Sex, Reyes joins the Tempest crew, Shameless Smut, Vaginal Fingering, the team disapproves of Reyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:42:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22825819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kassandra_divina_trevelyan/pseuds/kassandra_divina_trevelyan
Summary: With her departure from Kadara, Esme finds herself across the galaxy from the one she wants to be with. Reyes was needed back in Kadara to oversee planetary rule and the Initiative alliance. But a disparity in weight on the Tempest and a mystery leads to a surprise reveal that changes life on the Tempest for the foreseeable future.(REWRITE OF THE EXCESS BAGGAGE MISSION)
Relationships: Female Ryder | Sara/Reyes Vidal
Series: The Andromeda Rewrites [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1434976
Kudos: 28





	Excess Baggage

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr @queen-among-writers  
> Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Y9QFtVWHb0t6tjeCfkMLJ

Excess Baggage

Standing on the bridge of the Tempest, Esme watched as the ship zoomed out of Kadara’s atmosphere and into the inky blackness of space. She utilized her omni-tool to lock onto the coordinates of the Nexus and ended up staring out of the window while the ship finished recharging for a hyperspeed boost. Esme hardly noticed the time pass until she glanced to her right to see Kallo was gone, likely turning in for the night. She rubbed at her eyes and figured she could get a head start with sleep.

“Pathfinder, a word?” Suvi questioned when she noticed Esme spurred from her daze and headed for the central portion of the ship. Esme stopped and turned on her heel, walking over to Suvi’s console and chair. She glanced at the ship’s scientific genius and nodded for Suvi to carry on since she had her attention. “We might have a problem. I was running some numbers—mass balances and such. The Tempest is carrying about seventy kilos of extra mass. I think… something’s aboard that doesn’t belong.”

“Something… or someone. Seventy kilos is enough mass for another person.” Esme theorized, and she tensed. A stowaway, although not as likely, would be a far more troubling possibility. She glanced discreetly at the weapons locker but knew that she could do without it. It probably was a souvenir that someone snuck on board or some more junk Liam requested to build with; she would guess it was harmless.

“Our internal sensors aren’t getting anything, but they’re not as powerful as a Pathfinder’s scanner. Can you take a look?” Suvi inquired and Esme didn’t see any reason not to handle it. There was no need to whip her crew into a frenzy over nothing.

“I can handle it now,” Esme assured and she noticed the exhaustion written on Suvi’s face, one that she spotted on the faces of her other crew. They were jet-setting across the Heleus cluster so often and they needed a decent night of sleep. She pats Suvi’s shoulder, “Besides, it’s late and the crew should be heading off to sleep. I can handle it solo.” Esme commented and Suvi nodded, trusting Esme’s capabilities to handle a small task like this on her own. Rising from her chair, Suvi stifled a yawn behind her hand.

“Alright… good night, Pathfinder.” Suvi nodded and she trudged out of the bridge toward the crew’s quarters. Esme waited for the automatic doors to close behind her and soaked in the silence of the bridge. Her eyes lingered on the vast expanse of the Andromeda galaxy spread out before them. There were so many questions the universe held, and it was now her responsibility to uncover them as her estranged father did before her. Dismissing the thought of Alec Ryder from her mind, Esme turned away from the view and marched off the bridge and into the interior of the ship. She had to find the source of the extra mass.

After nearly a half an hour of turning the ship upside down and failing to identify the potential cause for the excess weight Suvi picked up on her scan, Esme approached the final location on the ship she had yet to search: her quarters. She glanced around the halls for any sign of her crew before she opened her door. The doors whooshed open and Esme stepped into the doorframe, only for her jaw to drop and her eyes to widen. Sitting on her bed—with no clue how he smuggled himself on board without tripping any sensors or alarms—was none other than Reyes.

“I would remark that you look like your waiting for someone, but I am the one waiting,” Reyes smirked as he rose from his seat at the edge of her bed. Esme moved out of the doorway and she stifled a gasp by replacing it with a dazzling, genuine smile. Esme hardly smiled these days but when she did, whoever witnessed it could tell they were worthy of it.

“Reyes!” Esme exclaimed and she sprinted up to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face into his chest. She felt the rumble of Reyes’ chuckle rippling throughout his chest at her eager reaction to his presence. He glanced down at Esme with the faintest traces of tenderness shining through his eyes and held her in his arms. Esme’s eyes flickered up for a moment and she found herself filled with a flurry of questions, “I’m not even going to ask how you managed to sneak onto my ship.” Esme remarked, which earned her another chuckle from Reyes. That would be something Reyes would have to keep a secret. Esme almost considered that SAM might have helped since her AI seemed to possess a fondness for Reyes… that or he sensed her feelings for Reyes early on and steered her toward him.   
  
“Well, it seems you are quite pleased by my presence.” Reyes mused, his arm instinctively curling around Esme’s svelte frame. Although he saw her the night before, the way she embraced him made him truly believe her when she said she missed him. Esme grinned up at him and resisted giving his shoulder a pointed nudge. Why wouldn’t she be? 

“Of course, I am! But it does beg the question: what are you doing here? I thought… we talked about how you needed to stay on Kadara to run it from the shadows.” Esme questioned, recalling their previous conversation the other night. Esme was still struggling to come to terms with the idea of leaving Reyes behind on Kadara and how badly she wanted to stay longer, even with Nexus duties and leadership scrutinizing her association with the exile home. But with Reyes on the ship, that implied something important changed.

“I decided on a different course of action. Keema doesn’t necessarily need me to stay on Kadara to keep me in the loop or execute my orders for what Kadara Port needs. If we are to ally with the Nexus, then I should keep informed about Nexus needs and activities.” Reyes remarked and Esme was sure that reason was not why Reyes smuggled onto her ship. Or at least, she hoped it was more than just that. As if he could sense what she was thinking, Reyes cleared his throat and that meant he wanted to say more. “I suppose that I also got used to seeing you around Kadara and I might miss you,” Reyes admitted with a feigned begrudging attitude, but Esme knew he was teasing her. Esme shrugged off her cherry red, leather jacket and tossed it over the chair resting by her email terminal with practiced ease. She also unfurled the scarf hanging around her neck and she threw it in the same direction of the jacket, promising herself that she would clean them up later. She slid out of her boots and neatly tucked them away to where she or Reyes wouldn’t trip over them. Turning back to Reyes, Esme noticed his eyes lingering on her and that smile on his face—the same one he wore when he held out his hand for a dance.

“What has you so smiley over there?” Esme questioned when she saw the smile Reyes wore and chose a teasing inquiry to keep from blushing. The way Reyes looked at her made her feel less jaded and with the long-forgotten innocence of a schoolyard crush. But there were more than simple butterflies in the way Esme felt about Reyes; there were pride and passion and freedom and desire.

“Nothing.” Reyes nonchalantly denied, but the playful, open twinkle in his eyes told a completely different story. He could hardly take his eyes off Esme, admiring the grace with which Esme moved. It was the trained prowl of a warrior with the irresistible feminine edge Esme wielded like a weapon. Esme smirked at Reyes from over her shoulder while she tugged at the neckline of her shirt.

 _“Pathfinder, I can deactivate for a short time to give you and Mr. Vidal some privacy.”_ SAM chimed through Esme’s head in their private channel and Esme blinked, not realizing he was there. She contemplated SAM’s offer for less than five seconds before arriving at a decision. She had waited a long time to address the palpable tension lingering between her and Reyes… and Esme knew just what she and Reyes needed. 

“SAM, initiate shut down protocol.” Esme agreed and she heard the soft click of her room door, which could only be overridden by a password that Esme knew. No one else had been there when she established the code, which meant no one else could get in. The lights flickered and Esme turned to face Reyes, who stood behind her. She wore a smirk and fluttered her lashes at Reyes, stopping him in his tracks. Esme pressed two fingertips against Reyes’ chest and walked him backward until the backs of his knees brushed against the edge of her bed, her eyes darkening as she traced up and down his body. As much as she enjoyed his usual attire, Esme knew she would like it a whole lot more when it resided in a puddle of fabric on her floor. She bit down on her lower lip and pushed with her fingers, giving Reyes enough of a shove for him to sit along the edge of her bed while Esme towered over him with lust on her lips and sin in her eyes. 

“Now, what are you up to?” Reyes questioned with a grin slowly forming on his face and stared up at Esme. For her part, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Both noticed how the lights of the room started to dim until near darkness. Then, Esme threw one leg over Reyes’ legs and positioned herself where she was straddling him, and no room remained between their chests and barely between their faces. Esme fluttered her lashes at Reyes and released a soft intake of breath when Reyes’ hands grabbed at the curve of her hip firmly. His fingertips seared against her skin. Esme felt dizzy with excitement and anticipation. 

“Something that we both want,” Esme whispered less than an inch from his lips and without prompting, Reyes closed the gap between their lips. Esme’s fingers worked into his hair and gave a slight tug to it when Reyes’ tongue confidently pushed through her lips. Reyes steadily assumed control as he tightened his grip on Esme and his silver tongue managed to make Esme concede her control. Reyes’ hands slipped underneath the loose fabric of her top and Esme shuddered as the warmth of his calloused fingertips roamed up and down her curves. Each place he touched her tingled like his touch was comprised of electric current and Esme was starving for more of his touch everywhere. Esme gasped when Reyes gripped her hips and pulled her down to brush against him, unable to keep from rocking her hips against his. She wiggled wordlessly and Reyes accepted that as his signal to strip her shirt off. Reyes grabbed the hem of the shirt and peeled it away from Esme’s body, exposing the toned abdomen and her chest—bound back by a simple bra—to the chilled air. She wouldn’t be cold for long, Reyes promised. He pressed his lips to her neck to Esme’s whine of pleasure slipping through her teeth. 

Reyes grinned into the crook of her neck and his voice—husky and soft—sent Esme’s heartbeat racing. Speaking against her skin, Reyes remarked. “If I had it my way, you wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning.” Reyes’ lips ghosted over the juncture of her neck and collarbone while he carelessly tossed Esme’s shirt somewhere across the room. Esme’s fingers curled into his hair and she knotted them in, establishing grips for the wild ride she could sense approaching.

“Well, you have all night to make that happen.” Esme declared while wetting her lips and she could feel Reyes’ smirk. She resisted a squeal when Reyes flipped their positions so her back pressed into the mattress and he loomed over her with that crooked grin of his that made heat awaken in her lower abdomen. His fingers trailed down her bare stomach to the waistband of her pants and dipped inside, curling around the material as he dragged them down her hips. His eyes soaked in the sight of her athletic frame and a small, minimalist tattoo of sun and moon inked into the side of her left ribcage caught his notice; he wondered if there was any more hidden ink that he might find on Esme.

“Mmhmm…” Reyes hummed as he exposed the elastic waistband of her panties and that earned Esme a smirk that made her flush for how his eyes roamed over her skin. Without further hesitation, Reyes unceremoniously tugged her pants down the remainder of her legs before dumping the clothing in a pile at the foot of Esme’s bed. 

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage…” Esme coyly pointed out, sitting up to her forearms and limiting the space between her and Reyes. Reyes blinked down at her as Esme fixated her gaze on him with what he could only describe as bedroom eyes. Her voice, thick with charm and a little wild like honey, hypnotized him. Reyes stepped back and rose to a standing position, directing a wink at Esme as he started disrobing. Within a matter of minutes, Reyes striped his upper half free of his gear to reveal his toned abdomen and torso and built arms that Esme knew resided under his clothes. Esme felt her throat dry at the sight of the few but noticeable scars that stuck out against his tanned skin. On Reyes’ right arm, Esme observed a tattoo inked right below the curve of his shoulder with the inscription “Anubis” and “N-503” below that. She chewed down on her lower lip when Reyes turned back to her, watching as she slipped her fingers to the band holding her brunette tresses in a ponytail. She released her hair down and it cascaded around her face and framed her flushed cheeks seductively. Pointing her foot, Esme lifted her slender leg toward Reyes and teasingly created some distance between them with her body. She stared up at Reyes through her thick lashes and bit down on her lip seductively, seeing how his eyes flashed with a desire to mirror the mutual passion Esme knew was in hers. Reyes reached out and pushed her ankle down and to the side, his sweltering gaze fixated on his lover’s limited state of dress and mentally undressing what little remained. 

“Lie down, Esme,” Reyes commanded with an undercurrent of insistence lacing in between the lines of his clear-cut instructions. Esme was not the type to take orders blindly or without some snarky question, but she complied with Reyes’ command without hesitation. Reyes sauntered to the edge of the bed and admired Esme while he decided on what he wanted to start with; he had all night after all. He murmured as he knelt at the edge of the bed, “I don’t think we need these anymore.” Reyes hooked his fingers into the waistband of Esme’s panties and dragged them down her legs before flinging them over his shoulder nonchalantly. Esme raised her brow at him, but her teasing attitude quickly vanished when Reyes leaned in and ghosted his lips in a path down from her navel, his warm breath summoning a flurry of goosebumps rising all over her body.

Reyes pressed his lips against the juncture of her hip for a prolonged kiss, feeling Esme’s breath hitch and her whole body shudder. Smirking against her skin, Reyes mapped out a diagonal path down her pelvis and dipped his head down. His eyes flickered up to Esme, watching him with bated breath. Before she realized what was happening, Reyes pressed the flat of his tongue against her and licked a deliberate stripe up from her pulsating center to her clit, through her slick and warm folds.

“R- Reyes!” Esme cried out through her heavy breathing and needy moan. Her fingers knotted into his hair with her grip acting like an anchoring lifeline. Reyes’ tongue against her made her whole world spin at hyperspeed and her eyes squeezed shut as his hot breath sent warmth spreading across her whole body. Reyes barely held back as he buried his face between her slick inner folds, brushing his tongue against her pink sensitive nub to the wild, automatic bucking of Esme’s hips. He plunged between her legs with a hunger Esme had never seen before. For someone with a penchant for biting sarcasm, Esme tasted oh so sweet. Esme’s knuckles turned ghastly white and she opened her eyes, catching Reyes’ amber eyes observing her with an animalistic edge that made Esme’s cheeks burn bright red.

The blush that tinted Esme’s cheeks made her look so enticing, Reyes thought as he continued his mission to live up to his codename. He supposed Esme was right after all when she insinuated about his ability to be good with words, among other things; he was often described as having a silver tongue for a reason. Reyes would whisper sweet nothings to her that she could hardly make out from how loud her pulse throbbed in her head. Esme had yet to realize the presence of Reyes’ fingers approaching the mounting bundle of pleasure between her thighs until two of his fingers pushed into her without advanced notice. Esme nearly screamed in pleasure from how the addition of Reyes’ fingers enhanced the sensation of her whole body felt on fire. Esme’s head rolled back when Reyes’ lips pressed against her again and expertly stimulated her with his fingers and tongue alike. Esme wondered if it was possible for her to melt into the duvet of her bed from how flushed she was. Reyes certainly knew what he was doing to her from the smirk he wore and the gleam in his eyes. Her breaths coming ragged, Esme allowed her eyes to flutter shut while she knotted her fingers into his hair.

Just to see how far he could bring her to the edge, Reyes cleverly crooked his two fingers buried knuckle-deep within Esme and observed as her back arched from the sheets. Esme’s eyes jolted open while a spike of unadulterated pleasure exploded into her system with a hypnotizing, intoxicating control over her. She released a high-pitched whimper that pleaded for Reyes to quit toying with her. Esme saw stars, and they weren’t coming from the view of the cosmic galaxies swirling outside her quarter’s windows. She felt the muscles in her lower abdomen tense as the heat spread throughout her body from Reyes’ precise, probing touch. Her hips were hovering off the bed and Reyes utilized that to his full advantage. Esme’s hands slipped underneath her back and started fumbling with the clasp of her bra blindly, desperate to rid of herself of the last piece of clothing standing in her way. All the while, Reyes continued his ministrations with precision and focus Esme had never seen in him before. The way he touched her was bringing her to the edge faster than she realized by the intensity of her arousal between her legs.

“Reyes, I- I’m almost there…” Esme panted out with no regard for how loud she might be, lost in the sensation Reyes delivered to worry. Besides, it wasn’t like the crew could get in with the encryption she used to lock the door as the Pathfinder. A girl deserved her private sanctuary…where she could do her smuggler boyfriend without her nosy crew lecturing her or getting all up in her personal business. Just before Esme was about to let go, Reyes dislodged his fingers to her disappointed, disgruntled moan. She glanced down at where he rested between her spread legs with a look that questioned why the hell Reyes stopped. Reyes chuckled at Esme’s fiery impatience and kissed up her inner thigh to her navel.

“I’m not done with you yet,” Reyes assured Esme, his lips ghosting her taut abdomen when he said that. His accent came a little thicker than usual and the huskiness nearly drove Esme up the wall with desire. He made his slow processional up her body until he reached the desired point he wanted to be. He flipped their bodies, so Esme straddled his lap and their faces were close, their noses brushing together. Reyes wasted no time lining up at Esme’s entrance, but he waited for her agreement. Esme saw the question in his eyes and nodded, convincing Reyes to march on. In one swift movement, Reyes was inside Esme and their hips were flushed together. Esme felt her eyes roll back and she took everything that Reyes would give, feeling her body adjusting to him stretching her. His initial rhythm was slow as he was getting a feel for it, but it quickly changed to something much faster.

“Holy fuck.” Esme panted out incoherently between heavy breaths. She heard about hook-ups so good that the world around you felt like it was spinning, but she never experienced that sensation before this moment. Somehow, Reyes knew precisely how to push her buttons to make her compliant and melt under his touch. His kisses against her skin were searing like flame and Esme felt the slight sheen of sweat start to break out across her body from the pure exertion of her tousle between the sheets.

“What? Does that feel good?” Reyes questioned smugly and noted how Esme bit down on her lip and nodded her head fervently. Her eyes were screwed shut and she released a shaky breath; shit, she was like putty in his hands. It had been too long since she had someone between the sheets and much longer since someone made her feel so satisfied. He stuttered his hips intentionally to make Esme squeak and bury her grip into his back and shoulders. The wolfish smirk that overtook Reyes’ lips spoke volumes about how much he liked hearing Esme. “Then, use your words, mi Reina.” He all but commanded and Esme, happy to comply, released a needy moan from the back of her throat. The sound made Reyes snap into overdrive and he surged forward with a renewed sense of urgency and energy. Esme gripped onto him by his shoulder and digging her nails into his back for dear life. Reyes thrust into her with every ounce of energy he had and Esme, who was already near the edge, needed very little to prompt her into taking a tumble off the ledge of control.

“Reyes! Fuck!” Esme wailed against Reyes’ shoulder, which she buried her face into to muffle her vocal responses, and a lascivious moan eclipsed her ability to form words. She clenched around Reyes and allowed the aftershocks of her finish overwhelm her body. Her eyes closed and she felt her thighs trembling as she steadily came down from her high. With her eyes closed, Esme missed how Reyes’ eyes studied her face and how thoroughly enamored he was with her. To Reyes, Esme is still the most breathtaking woman even while slightly sweaty, panting, and her brunette tresses tousled from wild sex. Her emerald eyes were practically glowing in the darkened room where only the faint light of the outside peering in through the window illuminated the two. In the silence of the night, Reyes and Esme clung to each other like their lives depended on it. Secrets and skin bared before each other and the hedonistic desires of their hearts revealed from the shroud of mystery.

“Mmm…” Reyes commented while surveyed the thoroughly wrecked state of the woman he fell for in Esme Ryder. One thing was certain: she _always_ gave as good as she got. She worked to regain her breath while Reyes gently dislodged his hips from hers and helped to lay her on the bed. At the loss of contact and Esme realizing that Reyes’ hadn’t finished, her eyes snapped open. She rose onto her knees and stopped Reyes from leaving the bed.

“I don’t know where you think you’re going. I promised all night.” Esme purred and she placed her hand on Reyes’ chest. Her eyes flickered down to his hips with an idea formulating and Reyes could see it through the twinkle in her eyes. He laid back with a grin, content with letting Esme take control.

___

The next morning, most of the crew was eating breakfast in the Tempest’s galley and somehow squeezed in at one time. They were all chatting about the next team movie night planned when Vetra finally decided to address the elephant in the room—their missing leader. Normally, Esme would be the first to breakfast and she proudly counted herself among the early risers on the ship with Cora, Jaal, and Kallo. However, Esme was nowhere to be seen and it was way past her usual sleeping in schedule. 

“Has anyone seen Ryder?” Vetra questioned and that prompted a chorus of nearly unanimous denials from the crew. Once Vetra mentioned the subject of Esme, the whole team realized that she was notably absent from the morning.

“No.” Liam shook his head and out of the group, he appeared the most visibly concerned. He exchanged looks with Cora, who also seemed quite concerned.

“Not since yesterday.” Jaal chimed in, in between sampling coffee. Esme convinced him to try the liquid that she described as ‘the life force for humans,’ albeit in her characteristic sarcastic manner. With each shake of a head or some variation of ‘no,’ the crew collectively grew more nervous and they wondered where Esme could possibly be. They knew that she returned on the ship from Kadara before they headed back to the Nexus. 

“I talked to her yesterday evening about me noticing some additional weight on the Tempest. Pathfinder Ryder promised she would check it out, but it was late. I assume she just went to sleep and she’s probably still sleeping.” Suvi remarked and at that moment, the doors to the galley opened and Reyes walked in—shirtless and with his black locks askew from his tryst with Ryder between the sheets. He strolled into the galley and grabbed at some of the food cooked in two plates, one for him and one for Esme. He didn’t acknowledge the stares of the Tempest crew as he efficiently moved around the limited space of the galley. Those who hadn’t seen him before were confused and those who had were seeing much more of Reyes than they were accustomed to, from his lack of shirt to his tattoo to his nonchalant attitude to their shocked reactions. Cora jolted out of her seat and was about to question how he smuggled onto her ship and give her one good reason she shouldn’t throw him off the Tempest when the doors opened again. 

“There you are…” Esme purred at the sight of Reyes and he grinned at her, leaning against the countertop. Esme sashayed closer to Reyes when she found herself the center of attention under her crew’s stares and Peebee gasped. Esme wore a pair of black shorts and a loose tank top, which was unusual but not the reason they were shocked. When Esme brushed her loose brunette waves back into a low ponytail, her crew caught sight of a red-purple mark on her neck that was obscured by her hair moments before. Liam angrily slammed his fork down at the sight of the hickey on Esme and the others stammered when they saw it. Gradually, the crew assembled the clues laid in the view before them of Esme and Reyes minimally dressed and disheveled beyond belief. Most of them had no clue what even to say.

“Good morning, Ryder. I hope that your evening with your new mate went well.” Jaal kindly remarked and everyone around the table gawked at the unabashed, open acknowledgment of Esme’s tryst with the man recently unmasked as the Charlatan. Esme nearly blushed the color of her favorite shade of lipstick, but quickly composed her face to betray nothing. The asshole instinct in her deeply desired to answer back that she had a fantastic night, but that might induce a heart attack at best.

“Jaal, don’t,” Liam grumbled bitterly and his eyes narrowed when he caught Reyes’ eyes lingering on Esme’s ass with the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. He didn’t understand why Esme was so insistent on trusting a guy like Reyes after he lied to her about being the Charlatan. Reyes turned his attention away from Esme for a split second to observe the glares fixated on him by most of her crew, to which he reacted with his most charming grin. His eyes flickered back to Esme, sauntering back to him with one mug of coffee in her hand held out. Reyes accepted the coffee with a nod of his head and a cheeky wink directed at Esme. Esme’s cheeks blushed, even after the many winks Reyes sent her way before. She turned around to grab her mug of coffee and made sure to sway her hips with each step, knowing that Reyes’ grin grew at the sight.

“What? It is obvious that Esme is quite taken with the smuggler. Such a big step taken indicates the close emotional bond they share.” Jaal reasoned with Liam, uncertain why Liam could not his bitterness over Esme go. Reyes perked up at Jaal’s words and discreetly glanced at Esme for confirmation of her teammate’s words. Before it disappeared, Esme’s eyes flashed with some acknowledgment of Jaal’s statement. Ah, so it was true?

“Thank you, Jaal.” Esme smoothly interjected and she brushed off Reyes’ quiet smirk. His eyes were glimmering with victory at the spoken confirmation that Esme was smitten with him. He felt the same way about her, but it was fun to rib at her a little. 

“Ryder, I was unaware that you and Reyes had reconciled.” Cora declared on behalf of the table, awkwardly fidgeting when recalling a conversation she had with Liam and Vetra the other day about her relief of Reyes no longer being in the picture. From the way Esme didn’t mention Reyes’ name after the whole debacle, Cora and the others assumed that she ended the relationship. But here Reyes stood, half-naked with painfully obvious sex hair and acting like him being there was no big deal.

“We never stopped being together.” Esme supplied as she sipped at her coffee as did Reyes. He glanced at the crew where some of them were curiously studying him like Jaal and Peebee while others like Vetra and Liam were glaring at him. Esme reached her free hand out to him and Reyes took it, lacing their fingers together.

“Do you think this is a good idea? What would your father say?” Cora reasoned and she shot an untrusting glance in Reyes’ direction. She and Esme were friends, but she still couldn’t trust Reyes after the whole Charlatan business left a bad taste in the crew’s mouth. Esme picked up on some of the others nodding, but they wanted Esme to understand that they were only looking out for her best interest… and that likely didn’t include Reyes. “Besides, where will he stay on the ship since the crew quarters are full?” Cora questioned, hoping Esme might see that this was not the wisest course of action. Esme sipped at her coffee wordlessly for a second, but the anger was evident from the way she gripped the mug’s handle until her knuckles turned white. 

“He’s staying. He can share my room.” Esme remarked firmly and she turned to face her crew, allowing them to see the deadly calm gleam in her eyes. That spoke volumes and relayed a clear message about her decision: there would be no debate about Reyes’ place on the Tempest. Her eyes narrowed before relaxing as she gulped down the remainder of her coffee. She roughly set the mug back onto the counter beside her and she faced Cora exclusively. “As for what Alec would say, it doesn’t matter. It would be hypocritical bullshit anyways.” Esme scoffed before she linked her arm with Reyes’ and walked out of the galley without another word, dragging a grinning Reyes along with her. Whatever her crew’s opinions on Reyes, they would have to swallow their pride because Reyes was with her for the long haul.


End file.
